Outfitter: Sask Can Outfitters, a family owned and operated deer, bear and waterfowl outfitter located near Big River, SK near the western border of Prince Albert National Park. Sask Can Outfitters Website
Hunt Dates: May 26 thru 30th (we were successful by the 29th so headed home early)

It is 973 miles door to door from Mitchell, SD to Big River, SK and an easy 17 hour drive. Border crossing at Portal, ND was low stress and quick coming and going. The last time I had been bear hunting was in Idaho in 2003, but school and hunts to Africa have kept us from going bear hunting for over a decade. As a freshly graduated Veterinarian and a little time before I begin my new job as an associate veterinarian near my hometown, this opened up the perfect timing for us to book a Canadian bear hunt. We first heard about Sask Can outfitters from an acquaintance in Minnesota who has gone on several deer hunts with them over the years and shot some incredible deer. Ultimately Dad wants to hunt deer, but bear hunting with them was the perfect opportunity to get back in the bear woods and check them out as an outfitter, and needless to say from the photos that follow we had a great hunt and will be returning in the future!!

Vern has been running a hunting camp for the better part of 20 years and has put clients on some giant bears and deer over the years. He runs several baits and takes 8 to 10 hunters per week for the month of May. Norma is a terrific cook and hostess and we were never hungry. Typical day involved morning coffee and breakfast at 9am, then fishing (great pike and walleye fishing) or hanging out until lunch at 2pm. After lunch everyone draws cards for which bait stand they will be sitting at that evening. After the first night, you can choose to keep the stand or draw again the next evening. Vern has trail cameras at every stand and he will review the pictures with you and identify big bears that have been coming to the site and also make you aware of big sows with cubs that are also present so you are prepared for her and do not accidentally shoot her. We head for the stands around 3:30, which could be 5 miles or 40 miles away usually followed by a short ATV ride to the bait site.

I saw multiple bears everyday and did see a few smaller boars before finally having the big boar I shot come into the site on the fourth day of the hunt. It was rare for a member of the hunting group to not see any bears in an evening. The hunting group averaged two bears shot per night during the week and average bear size for the week was a little over 200 pounds. My dad shot a 225 pound boar with a perfect fur coat that wasn't rubbed at all and he was very happy with it. I was able to take a great big headed 329 pound boar and was ecstatic to have such a bear walk right under me. I would recommend this bear hunt to anyone with the desire to hunt bear with the potential to get a really big one. All ages and physical capabilities would be able to handle this hunt.

I was able to catch the bear coming into the bait site and getting the shot on video. When my boar came in there were three cubs and a sow and they ran up the trees when he came in. The video turned out better then I could have imagined for doing it all myself. Please enjoy the video!

Erik's Bear Hunt Video






Dad's Bear


After the shot another nice boar came into the site while I waited for them to pick me up. You can see my dead bear to the left and a sow in the tree above the other boar.

Probably another 300 pound boar


We caught A LOT of northern pike on Cowan Lake. 50 in just under 3 hours.

Great hunt & video. Congratulations.

Congrats on your black bear !!!, looks like he didn't run very far. Also looks like a great run outfit too, lots of bears with quality hides!!! thanks for sharing ...Chuck

Glad you had a good hunt. That's a fine bear, and a pretty darn good video.

For the benefit of other non-residents who may be planning a hunt in Saskatchewan, I'd point out that only archery, crossbow, muzzleloader and shotgun hunters can wear full camo.

Hunters using centerfire rifles must wear at a minimum a vest covering the torso which is a solid color of scarlet, bright yellow, blaze orange, or white; or the type of fluorescent green/yellow with reflective stripes often seen on construction and highway workers.

Don't wish to rain on anyone's parade as the saying goes, but would like to alert hunters visiting Saskatchewan about the possibility of breaking the game regulations.

Great report Ed,

Are you allowed to bring the raw skin back across the border or does it have to go through a taxidermist?

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Great report Ed,

Are you allowed to bring the raw skin back across the border or does it have to go through a taxidermist?

There is no problem taking the raw black bear skin, skull and meat home with you after a bear hunt in Canada. There are some variations from province to province on their licensing systems and regulations, but generally you can export a black bear trophy within 30 days of the date of kill as long as it accompanies the licensed hunter who killed it. No separate CITES permit is required if you take your bear home with you at the end of the hunt.

If you leave it with a taxidermist to be mounted or tanned they will then have to apply for a provincial export permit and federal CITES permit before they can ship the mounted trophy to you.

Great report, and a very nice video, congrats!

Enjoyed the report and video, very interesting, thanks and Waidmannsheil on the hunt.

Ref:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Anderson:
. . . For the benefit of other non-residents who may be planning a hunt in Saskatchewan, I'd point out that only archery, crossbow, muzzleloader and shotgun hunters can wear full camo.

Hunters using centerfire rifles must wear at a minimum a vest covering the torso which is a solid color of scarlet, bright yellow, blaze orange, or white; or the type of fluorescent green/yellow with reflective stripes often seen on construction and highway workers.

Don't wish to rain on anyone's parade as the saying goes, but would like to alert hunters visiting Saskatchewan about the possibility of breaking the game regulations.

Can anyone comment on why it would matter with what type weapon you are hunting with in having to wear blaze? This just doesn't make any sense to me, or is it so you yourself don't get shot since you now have blaze on when hunting with a rifle? I just find it an awfully strange rule or law.

This is just personal speculation, the color requirement for rifle hunters may be due to the longer range of centerfire rifles. The thinking may be, at relatively close range there is less chance of mistaking a person for game. I could be wrong so if someone disagrees I won't argue.

The purpose of bright clothing is to protect the hunter from being misidentified and shot by another hunter. Most licenses are available over the counter to residents and there can be a lot of people hunting, especially the first few days of a season.

Here's a link to the current regulation:

http://environment.gov.sk.ca/D...65-b37e-def4e84449fe

Clothing requirements in Saskatchewan have changed considerably in recent years. It used to be a hunter had to wear a complete, head-to-to outfit in a bright color. Cap had to be a bright color, but not white.

Many hunters wore white coveralls which if anything gave a pretty good camo effect when hunting in winter. (Plus they were handy to wear while working on equipment or changing oil in the pickup!)

A coverall in winter isn't too bad but bear hunters on a stand in June when the temperature is 80F sure suffered. I knew a guy who wore coveralls with nothing underneath, or so he said. I took his word for it.

When archery got a separate season many years ago they were exempted. Then a few years ago, the color requirement for rifle hunters was changed to full colors from the waist up. This year it was changed again, so only a vest is required.

From everything I've read, it seems if you get shot accidentally while hunting, the shooter is most likely yourself or a hunting companion, and the range is very close. Bright colors don't make much difference in such circumstances. But at any rate those are the current regulations.

Thanks for the information, Skyline.

Thanks for the info Dave, appears to be one of those "it is what it is" deals.

Seems to me, with longer range of rifles, then those MZ & bowhunters would have a much increased chance of getting shot because they don't have any blaze on, unless of course they are not permitted to hunt during rifle season and it's rifles only with no others hunting.

Nice bear!